Malacañang and Vice President Sara Duterte crossed swords again yesterday as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took a swipe at those questioning his confidence, as well as his leadership skills and his desire to remain in power, amid the flood control project anomalies supposedly edging closer to him.

In a message to reporters, Undersecretary Claire Castro emphasized what Marcos had earlier said regarding the perceived endgame of the flood control anomalies investigation. 

“A person will be confident when he knows that what he is doing is for the people and not just for himself, unlike others out there. Don’t forget that the President has been the key to deterring and preventing anomalies,” Castro said.

Since 2023, the Marcoses and Dutertes have been tangling in a highly publicized rift often played out through speeches and social media posts.

“That is our President, brave and proud of what he says. He’s not afraid to have an investigation, which the previous administration did not do,” Castro added.

She said the Vice President was avoiding the public and the accusations against her by criticizing the government.

“The person who has committed wrongdoings against the people is afraid to answer and always avoids informing the people of what they really did against the people. Worse, she is criticizing the government even though she has no accomplishments of her own to show,” she said.

The Palace official was referring to the impeachment complaint against Duterte and allegations that she was not working for the people.

BBM: No Cha-cha

Castro also defended the President after Duterte alleged that he was the one who really wanted to amend the Constitution through a “people’s initiative.”

According to the Vice President, Marcos told her and Senator Imee Marcos that he knew how to roll the wheels for Charter change, and this was documented.

“Before he left for America, the three of us talked. There, BBM said that he knew about the Charter change move. So it’s not that there’s no evidence, it’s on paper,” Duterte said.

In response, Castro said the Vice President’s claims were baseless as the President himself said that Charter change was not a priority of his administration.

“It’s just speculation; we really won’t get a sensible answer to the issue. Many of our countrymen are fooled by her false story. She won’t be able to connect the plan that was the people’s initiative because President Marcos himself said in February 2023 that Charter change was not a priority of the administration,” she said.

She reminded Duterte that the officials who pushed for the people’s initiative were Senator Robin Padilla and Leyte 4th District Representative Richard Gomez, who are known allies of the Vice President’s family.

VP endured crisis

The Vice President claimed to have endured a professional crisis during her stint as a member of President Marcos’ Cabinet.

Duterte, who had served as concurrent secretary of the Department of Education and vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, said she was continuously attacked by people who were close to the President.

“I encountered a professional crisis as Vice President. I was serving in the Cabinet of BBM, and I was wondering why I was being targeted when I was not doing anything to them,” Duterte said in a press conference at the Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City during the celebration of World Pandesal Day.